texas ♔ don't want to face the fears we've met

[heavensend]

WHO || Anastacia, Avaleen, Thea, Riddick [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights try to track down some missing Shadowkind
WHERE || Houston, Texas
WHEN || April 9th [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

The Church of Good Hearted Souls is a nondenominational church, located in a poorer district of Houston. The neighborhood itself doesn't disguise the fact, but the streets that they walk through to reach the church are populated almost exclusively by Shadowkind, of all types. Dwarves, elves, gnomes, even a minotaur shuffle past, many of them making their way in and out of tenement buildings that have seen better days. The occasional humans that break up the mix often wear clothing more suited to a fantasy village - and those who don't sometimes have hairstyles that give them away as less than totally modern. The Church itself doesn't even remember a conventional church or temple in any way - it seems to have been built into a squat brick building, hollowed out to make room for folding chairs, since pews seemed to be outside their price range. "All faiths welcome" proclaims a sign out front, and another replaceable sign below it is flipped to read "Sister Deborah is in". 

Comments

[withasouvenir]

[ looking around, thea's lips purse as she takes in the neighborhood, being reminded, uncomfortably, of the glades. uncomfortable because of what became of it. her fingers twitch against her legs before folding across her chest, ]

Should we split up so a couple of us can speak to Sister Deb and the others can speak to the some of the ...neighbors?

[delicere]

[A little on the wide eyed and curious side, Ava's here just, probably not who you want to ask about the best way to proceed because she's too busy taking in her surroundings whilst trailing behind Ana.

Yeah this has been a tag to say she's here.]

[silvermaid]

I suppose we could. [ anastacia doesn't really seem uncomfortable with the neighborhood, but she recognizes that they do have a small group. ] Although I don't know how much Sister Deborah will have to tell us.

[withasouvenir]

I can talk to the Shadowkind. My club in Bruges was pretty much Shadowkind central. [ she glances between ava and riddick, but leaves any actual decisions up to anastacia. ] If either team finishes before the other, it's not like it'll be hard to meet up.

[silvermaid]

Riddick, why don't you go with Thea? [ that way he can protect her if any trouble goes down... and anastacia would prefer to keep her own squire where she can see how she does ] We'll speak to Sister Deborah.

thea & riddick → meeting the neighbors

[withasouvenir]

[ with a purposeful stride that speaks of being used to the environment and secure in her ability to talk to pretty much anyone, thea moves across the street toward the tenement building. she made a paladin drop it like its hot, she can do anything. ]

Are Shadwkind big where you're from? [ it's a casual question while they walk, her way of sussing out riddick's comfort level with the people here. ]

[lightblindbadass]

[Even with Thea walking like a boss, Riddick still has to shorten his stride to match hers so he doesn't leave her in the dust. At her question he shrugs, answering in a deep bumblebee rumble-] I guess that's what you'd call 'em here, for lack of a better term. It just depended on what planet they were from what they were called.

[withasouvenir]

[ yeah, she's pretty tiny tbh.

she nods, pleased with that answer. while she didn't think he was some kind of shadowkind racist, it's best to double check. ] For the record, I'm going to ask about those planets later. [ maybe on the flight home. but work first, she flags down a nearby person/creature/whatever. ] Excuse me, hi, hey.

[ look, she is pretty and teeny and unintimidating, please talk to her. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the first person they encounter is half-elf, all but dressed in rags. his blonde hair is chopped into what is basically an elven mullet, since apparently someone told him that was a good idea to fit in here. feel bad for him. he looks over them suspiciously. ]

What is it?

[withasouvenir]

[ offering an ingratiating smile, thea tries to set the man at ease. (diplomacy 24) she wants to give him a mini makeover, but resists the urge. ]

We were just wondering if you might be able to answer a few questions?

ana & ava → sister deborah

[heavensend]

[ into the church they go, anastacia looking around with a small smile on her features as she scans the small church.

that smile vanishes, however, when a woman rises from the bench near the front, turning to greet them. her hair is long and white, her eyes all but colorless, her dark red lips the only real shade on her face, beyond her dark eyebrows. she's robed in long snowy robes, and she notably has a pair of small horns on her head. anastacia stares, looking almost stricken for a second.



"Can I help you?" her voice is emotionless, even as she studies them carefully. ]

Er... Sister... Deborah, I presume?

[ the sister seems to catch her discomfort, looking between the two of them and seeming to have a moment of revelation of her own.

"Mm. Yes. That would I." ]

[delicere]

[In stark contrast to Ana's reaction, Avaleen has a slow, warm smile spreading across her features, not stopping but closing the distance between the two women and Sister Deborah with an outstretched hand offered to the pale woman.]

Good day Sister. Thank you for welcoming us into your Church. I'm Avaleen and this is... [Babbling away as she casts a look over her shoulder at Ana and finally notices the other woman's discomfort, a questioning look in her eyes before she refocuses on Deborah.] We've come here to help? [Another brief look at Ana as if to ensure she's doing this right.]

[silvermaid]

[

recognition flashes across her features, and she looks more solemn for it.

"Wynn sent you," she says, by way of understanding. hearing his name off her lips, and noticing avaleen's easy manner seems to alert anastacia to her own guarded one, and she visibly attempts to shrug off the discomfort. ]

Yes, about the disappearances. We were hoping you might be able to tell us more.

[ "Of course," she says simply. "Four members of our congregation have gone missing. Two halflings, a dwarf, and a gnome. None of them would be considered troublemakers, by anyone's account. Most of them minded their own business, kept a low profile." ]

[delicere]

[Sorrow touches Ava's features, as if she might have known each one of the missing personally, voice softening as she speaks again.]

And there has been no trace of them at all?

[silvermaid]

[

her expression hardens slightly and she looks down. "There is evidence that they were all taken violently: a broken door, a splash of blood and a ripped jacket, a ransacked apartment. There was also one witness. You might want to talk to Lilijune, the younger sister of the missing gnome." ]

reconvening

[heavensend]

[ the four of them meet back up shortly, outside the church. anastacia hugs both arms around her middle, pacing slightly back and forth as riddick and thea come up the street. she looks discomforted, casting looks over her shoulder as she mulls over what they've heard. when the others draw near, she asks: ] Did you find anything?

[withasouvenir]

Not much. [ she pushes her hair out of her face in agitation, grey eyes hard and her jaw set. ] Some of the residents think it's a government conspiracy, but Tommy Eldritch is sure it's not, and I'm gonna have to agree with him. During one of his shows, someone called in claiming to be behind the disappearances. He said it was his "duty and destiny" to clean up the "monsters in the streets". [ her lips press together and having to repeat those words makes her stomach heave, disdain clear on her features. ]

[delicere]

[Avaleen flinches at the word Monsters, eyes flickering to the ground as she shifts uncomfortably, struggling to give voice to her words on the back of what Thea has just said but she nods, clearing her throat as she meets the gaze of the others.]

We spoke with the sister of one of the victims. It does sound as though... Well, he was a gnome. [Choosing not to repeat what she'd heard them call him.] She was able to give us a description of their clothing... Or, hats. Black with, wide brims.

[heavensend]

I've seen things like this before in my time. Self-styled monster hunters, targeting anyone and anything non-human, regardless of who they are or what they've done.

[withasouvenir]

Vigilantes, yeah. They haven't found any bodies yet, though.

[ which doesn't seem like it's much of a good thing in her eyes, but hey. when you've been kidnapped and held hostage as many times as thea queen... ]

that night~

[heavensend]

[ time for a set-up. ava is the bait, which means that the others are going to have to pick advantageous positions on the buildings near the end of the street where she'll be. there's a catwalk that leads up to the roof, and anastacia positions herself in a shadowed entryway to a closed shop (hide 27). ]

[withasouvenir]

[ thea's hide was a glorious 10, so she's probably just... leaning against the edge of an alleyway and keeps poking her head out while somewhere in the world malcolm merlyn is like no i changed my mind, she's not my child, you can have her back, robert. (explains why her spot is a 21, at least.) ]

[delicere]

[And as the one person here who doesn't need to hide, Ava offers a tight grin in Ana's direction before moving out into the open with a flashing sign above her head that yells 'bait'.

Well that or just ready to cast 'Light' when everyone is hidden. Same dif.]

[silvermaid]

[ assuming riddick is hiding somewhere as well...

for awhile, there's nothing, but eventually, two men come striding out of an alley not far down, dressed in black cowboy hats, and walking with the pronounced swagger of true texas cowboys. they move slowly down the street, as if just casually out for a stroll. ]

[delicere]

[With a pretty epic spot check of 28, Ava sees the men coming towards them, immediately recognizing the hats that the young gnome girl had told them about (Wis 23) and guessing this was her chance to get noticed. Resisting the urge to cast a furtive glance back at Ana (WS 27 - what is with these overly awesome rolls for random crap) Ava crouches, reaching for a round, smooth rock about the size of her fist and casting a spell that drowns the area around her in bright light.]